Made entirely of recycled materials, the masterpiece is 720 square meters and aims to brighten the war torn city.

Moaffak Makhoul, the lead artist, said he created the mural in an attempt to alleviate some of the suffering of the Syrian people.

“In the difficult conditions that the country is going through, we wanted to give a smile to the people, joy to the children, and show people that the Syrian people love life, love beauty, love creativity,” he told Reuters.

“I’ve been sad to see a lot of my colleagues, artists, all traveling abroad and leaving. God be with them and give them luck, but the country also needs all of us,” he added.

The mural is comprised mostly of aluminum cans, pieces of mirrors, and bicycle wheels found around the city, and is the world’s largest mural made of recycled materials, according to Guinness World Records.

“It’s really great, it’s made me more excited to come to school,” says one Damascus student who attends a nearby school.